Dispensing machine



Dec. 16, 194.1. c. GRAU DISPENSING MACHINE Filed'Nov. 16, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 16, 1941. C L, GRAU DIsENsING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov.4 16, 1938 Dec. 16, 1941. C, L, GRAU r.

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c.A L. GRAU DIsPENsING MACHINE 4 sheetssheet 4 Filed Nov. 16, 1958 Patented Dec. 16, 1941 UNITED STTES PATENT OFFICE DSPENSING MACHINE Carl L. Grau,- Ottawa, Ill.

Application November 16, 1938, Serial No. 240,780

- Fig. 1, so that nie bornes win be immersed in 7 Claims.

This invention relates to coin controlled dispensing machines for dispensing bottle goods and the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple and eicient bottle dispensing machine which is easily operated to dispense a tion thereof is simple and which can be operated y' by anyone in an obvious manner.

A further object is to provide such a machine that is theftproof in that it is impossible to operate the device without first inserting a coin and from which bottles cannot be obtained without operating it in the intended manner.

Still further objects will be apparent from the following description and from 'the drawings wherein a selected embodiment of the invention is illustrated and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the door panel opened and partly broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken through the center of the machine from side to side thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the machine taken from the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 1 and showing the side panel removed;

4 tour of the body of the bottles 22.

the cooled water just prior to dispensing of the bottles from the machine. The coil I6 is completely immersed in the water. A suitable passage I, in the present instance arranged in a sinuous manner, is provided in the top of the machine to receive and retain the bottles therein n andwhich bottles are fed by gravity to the dispensing mechanism at the base of the bottle cooling compartment. It should be understood that any suitable arrangement of storage passage or passages may be used. A drum is pivotally mounted upon an axle 2|, journaled in the cabinet walls at opposite sides thereof. The drum 20 is provided on its periphery with corrugations or serrations adapted to 'lt the con- The weight of the bottles in the storage passage is sufficient to normally rotate the drum in a counterclock-` wise direction, Fig. 1,v but undesired rotation is controlled by the stop finger 23, Figs. 6, |'l and 8. The stop finger is normally adapted to abut the side of one of the corrugations on the periphery of the drum as in Fig. 7. A suitable coin inserted in the slot 24, Fig. 10, slides downwardly through the slug detecting device of any suit- Fig. 5 is a detail View of a portion of the mech- 2S into the detent 2l, Fig. 4, in a suitable controlling arm 28 pivoted at 29. The part 30. of the arm 28 is adapted to abut the stop 3l when no coin is deposited in the detent 2l. Thus the parts controlled by the arm 28 will not operate and, as will be described, a bottle will not be dispensed from the machine. IIhe stop 3l is pivoted'at 32 so that the rounded surface of the coin in the detent 2l will, however, raise the free end of the stop 3i against the actionof the Fig. 9 is a detail front elevation ofthe mechanism shown in Fig. 8; Y

Fig. 10 is a plan view in section showing the bottle discharging mechanism;

Fig. 1l is an enlarged detail plan view in section of the bottle carrying drum operating and locking means;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on the line I2-I2 in Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a sectional View taken on the line I3-I3 in Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings, the coin controlled bottle vending machine embodies a cabinet Ill provided with suitable insulation to prevent, as well as is practically possible, heat passing thereinto. A suitable mechanical refrigerating device spring 33 to remove theA stop 3l from position to engage the part 3G, and the arm 2t will then be free Yto rotate about its pivot to the position shown in Fig. 5, raising the leg 3d integral with the arm 28 and also raising the link 36. The link 36 raises the arm 3l of a lever 38 pivoted on one end of the rod 39, lowering the arm 40, slotted at dil', ofthe lever 38. The rod 39 is journaled in the inner side walls 4I and 42 of the cabinet and, as will be seen in Fig. l0, extends from side to side of the machine within the cabinet I4. The rod 39 has Xed toits other" The lever 43 has an arm lllV end a lever i3. thereon whi-ch, like the arm 49 of the lever 3 8, is slotted at 44 to receive the rod 45 mounted in the slots 46 and lll in the inner walls 4I and @2 respectively 'for vertical movement therein;V

tates the rod 39 and swings the arms 46 and 44, lowering the rod 45 in the slots 46 and 41. In the same motion the rod 36 is raised, rotating the arm 28. As has been explained, this rotation is prevented, if no coin is in the detent, by abutment of the part 36 against the stop 3|. A suitable spring 5l, Fig. 4, is provided to assist in returning the rod 45 to normal raised position in the slots 46 and 41. A link 52 has a slot in its upper end which engages the rod- 45 and after lost motion provided by the slot in the link 52, the rod 45 will lower the link, rotating a ratchet device 53 about the axle 2| on which it is loosely mounted. The ratchet device is illustrated in detail in Fig. 12. If the inherent friction .of Vthe parts is too great, or when the passage |19 becomes empty of bottles and there are only avfew bottles arranged in the corrugations or serrations in. the drum 26, the ratchet device 53 insures proper rotation of 4the drum. The ratchet device comprises a housing 54 to which the link 52 is secured. A spring pressed pawl 55 is mounted in the housing and `is adapted to engage'the teeth 56 suitably provided on one end wall of the drum 26. Another pawl 51., arranged in a housing 58, also engages the teeth 56 to prevent backward rotation of the drum 26.

A bottle raising mechanism, generally indicated by 59, Figs. 6, '1, 8 and 9, is mounted on the rod 45. The mechanism 59 comprises Aa pair of rods 66 extendinghorizontally from the rod -45 and interconnected at their outer ends by a rod 6|, Fig. 9. A vertical frame work 62 is suspended from the rod 45 at each end of the mechanism with substantially horizontal pieces 63 and 64. The piece 63 is adapted to engage the neck 65 of the bottle at the topmost portion of the drum, and the piece 64 is adapted to engage the body of the bottle. It will be noted that the piece `64 isinclined slightly so that when the bottle is raised to the uppermost position shown in Fig. 6 thebody of the bottle will tend to roll off of the piece 64 while the neck is retained on the piece 63 thus insuring that the bottom of the bottle will vbe discharged through the chute 66. This is illustrated in Fig. 10. It will also be noted that the contour of the chute is such that it assists in insuring that thebottom of the bottle is discharged through the chute first. A spring pressed pawl 61 is secured `on the `piece 64A of the frame Work 62.Y In the downward movement of the frame 62at the. timethe handle 56 isl pulled outwardly, the pawl engages the lever 68 connected with the stop finger 23, thus raising the stop finger 23 into the position shown in Fig. 8 to release the stop linger from engagement with the periphery of the drum 26, thus permitting the drum to rotate. The lever '68 has connected thereto' a link 69 which link is also secured to the lever 16 pivoted at 1|. Another link 12 is secured to the other end of the lever 16' at one end and to the stop linger 23 at the other end and it will thus be seen that downward movement of the lever 68 causes `upward movement of the stop finger 23. The parts are arranged so that shortly after the drum starts to rotate, the pawl 61 rides past the end ofthe lever 68 and the spring 1.3 causes the lever to pivot and the stop iinger tolower so that the stop finger will engage the side of the next corrugation. on the frame 62, stopping the rotation of the drum. Upward movement of the frame 62 caused by pushing the handle 56 inwardly bringsA the pawl 61 into engagement with the lbottomof the lever v63. But the pawl is mounted to ride past the lever 68 without operative engagement therewith. The chute 66 is provided with a hood 14 which directs the bottle downwardly from the chute to the receiver 15. The receiver 15 is preferably lined with a rubber or like material to cushion the fall of the bottle. Likewise, a metal leaf spring may be inserted in the hood 14 if desired so that enough friction will be exerted against the falling bottle to reduce its speed. The bottom of the receiver 15 and the outer side thereof are tilted as shown in Figs. 6 and '7 so that when the bottle comes to rest therein after striking the rubber lining the neck of the bottle will be tilted outwardly for easy removal of the bottle from the receiver.

In operation the `customer first placesr a coin in the slot 24 which passes down the coin chute 26 into the detent 21 in the arm 28 where it comes Yto rest. The operator then grasps the handle 56 pulling it outwardly, thus lowering the arm 44, rotating the shaft 39 and lowering the arm 40. This action immediately raises the arm 31, link 36 and leg 34. The arm 28 lowers. and the coin in the detent 21 raises the stop 3| against the action of the spring 33 to the position shown in Fig. 5. After the coin passes the pivot 32 for the stop 3|, the coin drops out of the detent into a suitable receptacle therebelow. Lowering of the arms 46 and 44 firstl lowers the frame k62 from the position of Fig. 6 to the position of Fig. 7. During this operation the `pawl 61 engages the .arm` 68,k raisingthe stop finger 23, permitting the weight of the bottles in the passage I9 to rotate the drum 26 slightly.v If there are no bottles in the passage I9 and there are but a few bottles in the corrugations or serrations inthe drum, the ratchet Vdevice 53 forces rotation of the drum at the time the rod engages the link 52 at the bottom of the slot therein. This is at the moment the stop linger 23 is raised to the position of Fig, 8. Almost immediately the pawl 61 rides past the end of the leverv 68 allowing the stop finger 23 to drop down and be in position to engage the side of Y 58, reversing the movement of the arm 44, raising the rod V45 with the frame 62, the pieces 63 and 64 of which engage the bottle at the neck and body respectively on the bottom side thereof. Further and continued upward movement of the frame 62 raises the bottle out of the corrugation until the frame isv in substantiallythe position of Fig. 6 whereupon the body endv of the bottle rolls off of the frame due togthe slight incline of the piece 64 and which bottle movement is insured by the contour of the chute 66. The rod 45 rides up in the slot in the link 52 until it engages the link at its upper end and retracts the ratchet device53 until the pawl 455 thereof engages the next tooth. During this operation reverse rotation of the drum is prevented by the pawl 51 engaging the teeth 56. The bottle falls through the chute 66 to land in thereceiver 15 where: itV is ready for removal by the purchaser. It will be noted that there are noprotuberant levers or handles when the device is not in operation, the handle '56 'having been pushed in to deliver the bottle through the chute. A suitable door 16 is provided in one side of the machine to permit removal of coins from the receptacle therefor. The wallV 11 onrthe ope posite side of the machine is entirely remova le to enable stocking of the machine with bottles.

While I have shown and described my invention in a selected embodiment, it is to be understood that it is capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

l. In a coin controlled bottle vending machine, a casing, storage means in said casing for storing bottles in a horizontal position, a feeding drum for feeding bottles from said storage means to a predetermined discharge position at the top of said drum, means for retaining bottles on said drum during conveyance thereof from said storage means to the discharge position, manually operable means extending through said casing, a

lever secured to said manually operable means,

a shaft extending transversely of said casing and having said lever secured thereto at one end thereof, another lever secured to said shaft at the other end, means operable by said levers to raise said bottles from said machine, means operable by one of said levers to rotate said drum whereby the bottles fed to said drum will be passed downwardly along one side thereof, around the bottom and up the other side thereof to said predetermined discharge position.

2. In a coin controlled bottle vending machine, a casing, storage means in said casing for storing bottles in a horizontal position, a feeding drum for feeding bottles from said storage means to a predetermined discharge position, manually operable means extending through said casing, a lever secured to said manually operable means, a shaft extending transversely of said casing and having said lever secured thereto at one end thereof, another lever secured to said shaft at the other end, a frame having members thereof engageable with the bottom side of said bottle in discharge position of said drum whereby operation of said manually operable means raises said frame to discharge said bottle in said discharge position from said machine.

3. In a coin controlled bottle vending machine, a casing, storage means in said casing for storing bottles in a horizontal position, a feeding drum for feeding bottles from said storage means to a predetermined discharge position, manually operable means extending through said casing, a lever secured to said manually operable means, a shaft extending transversely of said casing and having said lever secured thereto at one end frame to discharge said bottle, body end first,

from said machine.

4. In a coin controlled bottle vending machine, a casing, storage means in said casing for storing bottles in a horizontal position, a feeding drum for feeding bottles from said storage means to a i predetermined discharge position, manually operable means extending through said casing, a lever secured to said manually operable means, a shaft extending transversely of said casing and having said lever secured thereto at one end thereof, another lever secured to said shaft at the other end, means operable by said first mentioned lever to insure rotation of said drum to place a bottle in discharge position upon pulling of said manually operable means, and means operable by both of said levers upon pushing of said manually operable means to raise said bottle in discharge position from said drum to clischarge said bottle from said machine.

5. In a coin controlled bottle vending machine, a casing, storage means in said casing for storing bottles in a horizontal position, a feeding drum for feeding bottles from said storage means to a predeterminedv discharge position, manually operable means extending vthrough said casing, a lever secured to said manually operable means, a shaft extending transversely of said casing and having said lever secured thereto at one end thereof, another lever secured to said shaft at the other end, means operable by said rst mentioned lever to insure rotation of said drum to place a bottle in discharge position upon pulling of said manually operable means, means operable by both of said levers upon pushing of said manually operable means to raise said bottle in discharge position from saiddrum to discharge said bottle from said machine, and means to prevent the rotation of said drum more than enough to bring a single bottle into said discharge position in each cycle of operation of said machine.

6. In a coin controlled bottle vending machine, a casing, storage means in said casing for storing bottles in a horizontal position, a feeding drum for feeding bottles from said storage means to a predetermined discharge position, manually operable means extending through said casing, vertically movable means operatively connected to said manually operable means for raising bottles from said discharge position to discharge said bottles from said machine, a stop finger normally engaged with said drum to prevent bottle feeding rotation thereof, means carried by said vertically movable means adapted to disengage said finger from said drum on downward movement thereof permitting rotation of said drum to place a bottle in discharge position, whereby upon upward movement of said vertically movable means said bottle will be raised from said discharge position and discharged from said machine.

7. In a coin controlled bottle vending machine, a casing, storage means in said casing for storing bottles in a horizontal position, a feeding drum for feeding bottles from said storage means to a predetermined discharge position, manually operable means extending through said casing, vertically movable means operatively connected to said manually operable means for raising bottles from said discharge position to discharge said bottles from said machine, a stop finger normally engaged with said drum to prevent bottle feeding rotation thereof, a pawl carried by said vertically movable means, a lever having one end arranged in the path of movement of said pawl and operatively connected to said nger, whereb-y manual pulling of said manually operable means will lower said vertically movable means effecting disengagement of said finger from said drum permitting bottle feeding rotation thereof to place a bottle in said discharge position and pushing of said manually operable means will raise said vertically movable means to raise said bottle in discharge position therefrom to discharge said bottle from said machine.

CARL L. GRAU. 

